Kept From Love
by Rebellion of the Kat
Summary: So close, yet so far… Will they ever be together? JxS
1. Shadow Man

Kept From Love by Rebellion Of The Kat

1. Shadow Man

It was another dazzling spring day in the town of Manhattan. The sun splashed against the skyscrapers as they stood tall against the clear blue sky. Smells of fresh coffee and sharp suits were carried through the metropolis by a cool, city breeze. The streets buzzed with activity as people set about their daily duties. One of those people, was a beautiful, chicly dressed young woman who slid gracefully out of a yellow taxi-cab, and hurried across the plaza. She was Sarah Williams, a mid-twenties lawyer in a high powered, New York law firm. She had the look of confident, thriving entrepenuer with her slick coiffure and slender build. When people looked at her they never saw a feeble girl with doubts and insecurites..., they saw a winner!

Sarah paid the driver his fees, and tidied up her suit. She was late for work, again... but she was not worried. Her father, Mr. Robert Williams, was the law firm's founding partner, a prestigious corporate attorney in Manhattan. Sarah never had to worry too much about anything...

The elevator doors opened as Sarah stepped out into the offices of Williams and Koslow. An imposing recpeption area, with delicate lighting and fresh green plants, presented itself before her. She sashayed positively through the room in her stylish cafe au lait dress-suit and high-heeled shoes. A waft of sweet L'eau D'Issey perfume fluttered through the room stifling the nose of the company's secretary, to whom Sarah smiled at.

"Morning...!" Sarah beamed at the PA in an enthusiastic manner. She was the kind of woman that you either loved or hated, and those that hated her only did so because they were envious of her ability to be both rich and polite.

"Not anymore…" uttered the secretary, checking her clock. It was 12:05 PM!

"Picky, picky…" replied Sarah, who laughed casually, passing the receptionist who shook her head in disbelief... This didn't bother her in the slighest though, as she continued to stride down the corridor, blithely exchanging greetings with her co-workers...

When she finally reached her father's office she poked her head through the door and saw that Robert, a handsome, dark-haired man was sitting in his huge swivel-chair, talking on the phone. He waved his daughter in...

"Sarah…"

"Hi Dad…" Sarah strolled into her father's office. Robert had really hit the big time since Sarah was a child and his bureau reflected just that! The walls were swathed in certifcates, accolades that the comany had won. The large window at the back paraded the most incredible view of the city anyone had ever seen. Robert only ever wore upscale suits and no-nonsense ties now that he had a reputation to preserve. But Sarah chuckled at her dad's impeccable manner, for even though he was a man of business, to Sarah he would always be"father".

"Alex, let me call you back…" he said down the phone, before hanging up on his client...Then, Robert looked at his daughter and smiled. He seemed so proud of the successful woman she had become. She was finally in a place where he could understand her, for Robert was a man only knew how to talk facts and figures. No more did he have to put up with her wild flights of fantasy and childish games. Sarah had turned into a bright, young city girl who Robert was never afraid to spoil. "Alex Haywood's coming up from Atlanta tonight. Can you have dinner with us?" he asked, swaying gently on his tanned leather executive's chair.

Sarah shook her head.

"Mike's having a party for the architects of the new project. Another excuse to wine and dine the planning commission…" she answered, dully. Mike was Sarah's boyfriend, a young Robert Williams in the making. From the look of Sarah's expression, it was obvious she wished he would spend more time her than with his career.

"You can't miss that!" urged Robert, disregarding the fact that something was cleary troubling Sarah. Robert approved highly of Mike, assuming he was the perfect match for his daughter. "I used to be invited to these functions." he joked. "I should've thought twice when I handed you over to our best client…"

"You make it sound like a horse trade…" sighed Sarah, sulking at the fact that she had her father arrange relationships for her. As a young girl she had always dreamed of meeting her noble Prince Charming in a starry-eyed moment, like the princess's do in the movies, when they're suddenly caught in a mighty fine predicament and need to be rescued. Oddly, the prince always comes to save them seconds before they get swallowed away by a fire-breathing dragon! Robert winked at Sarah, never taking her crankiness seriously.

"You'll have to admit he's quite a guy. You could do a lot worse than Michael Swanson…"

"And have!" said Sarah, to which they both laughed. For, in reality she loved that her father took care of her. He had never really bonded with her as child, but now they were like the King and Princess of the land!

"What about dinner tomorrow night?" asked Robert.

"Let me get to my desk, check my calendar…" she said, walking over to him and kissing him on the top of his head. They smiled at each other before she headed off to her office...Robert blindly picked up the phone and began to punch in some numbers, not even recognizing the whisper of uncertainty that loomed in his daughter's eyes...

OOOOOOOOOOOOO

Later that night, a private party filled up an elegant restaurant in another part of the town. Guests delved in coversation as they wined and dined before the most high-flying businessmen of New York. An architectural model of a skyscraper and commercial complex was prominently displayed. At the centre of the action, working the room, was Michael "Mike" Swanson , a sleekly attractive man in his early 30's - a dashing New York real estate titan... People seemed to swirl around him, drawn by his power and charm.

Mike sauntered through restaurant., eventually stopping to find Sarah sitting at a far table, talking to an old college friend…Sarah was dressed in a classy magneta Laura Ashley gown. Her hair was pinned back and she looked radiant..., but Mike seemed to be annoyed at the fact his girlfriend wasn't even standing with him at his own social-gathering.

"I really thought my life was over. I mean he was my life. He told me to just pretend he was dead…" said the friend, who wept uncontrollably. Mike rolled his eyes as Sarah put her arm around her friend's shoulder. She didn't even look up to greet him as he hung over the pair like an unwanted shadow.

"Alison, I'm so sorry... Things'll turn around." Sarah comforted her, sympathetically.

Mike interrupted with a loud apparent cough. Sarah gazed at him, without smiling. Alison quickly wiped her eyes, not realising that someone else had been watching her cry. Mike leant over to kiss Sarah, to which she responded with a half-hearted peck. "How you doing? You all right?" he asked her.

"Fine. Alison and I haven't seen each other since college…" Sarah appeared to be very annoyed by Mike's rude disruption.

"We're just catching up…" said Alison, trying to gather herself together.

"Good…" he said dryly before putting an arm around Sarah. "I need to talk to you…" he told her. "Excuse us for a minute…" he said to Alison, as he pulled her up from her chair and lead her over to an alcove. Sarah was pressed against the wall as Mike pillared over her and glared intimidatingly into her eyes. "What's with you?"

"What do you mean?" she asked, innocently, trying to break free from his overwhelming control. Sarah despised nothing more than a man who tried to master a woman, and right now her boyfriend was reminding her of everything she purposely rebelled against in her teenage years.

"You've been sitting over there listening to her blubber, half the evening…"

"She's going through a rough time. We used to be good friends…" argued Sarah who full well knew that Alison was not the only reason she was staying away from him.

"I know her. She's a sponge. She was married to a sponge. She's a complete loser!" he declared, raising his voice. Sarah had to look round to check if anyone had heard. Coincidentally, Alison had just guzzled down another glass of champagne as they spoke, and began to pour herself some more! "See..." Miked stated, with a satisfied smirk on his face. "Come on now, stick by me, there's someone I want you to meet…"

"Mike, I'm just not into it tonight, I'm sorry…" she proclaimed.

"I thought I could count on you…" Mike found it hard to believe that his own girlfriend could be so unsympathetic.

"You can!...But it's a party -- it's not brain surgery. And frankly, I don't like being told who I can talk to…" she snapped, pushing his hands away and walking back into the room. She began to head over to Alison before Mike reached from behind and pulled her shoulder, jerking her backwards and forcing her to look at him.

"Then use better judgement!" he yelled, glowering at her with a meancing, but confused appearance. By now, the entire party had noticed they were arguing. Funnily enough, Alison was the only one who obliviously continued to drown her sorrows with drink.

"All right, maybe I should call it a night…" Sarah professed, heading towards the door.

"That's not an option…" Mike ordered, reaching out his hand as if he was trying to stop her leaving with sheer force. But Sarah reached for her purse, and without turning back she marched out of the restaurant...

She ran out into the gloomy night sky and hurried to the corner to hail a cab. Seeing one drive by she raised her hand. "Taxi...!" she shouted, raising her left hand, running towards the vehicle as best as she could in her killer-heeled stilettos...But she was too late! A couple just ahead of her hopped into the cab. Sarah sighed, but quickly perked up when another cab approached. She yelled out again, but, as if out of pure ignorance, the taxi switched on its "Off Duty" sign. "Great…" she muttered.

All of sudden, a tall stocky guy in a bomber jacket sauntered up to her and smiled. "You're not having much luck. I'll get you one…" he said, stepping off the curb, raising his arm and whistling loudly. "I'm an expert!" Out of the blue, a van pulled around the corner, and the door slid open. The hefty man roughly shoved Sarah to the van door..."Going home alone tonight, Sophie?" he asked.

"Hey...!" she cried. She tried to twist away but a pair of muscular arms reached out from within, grabbing her and violently, yanking her into the vehicle. The stocky man jumped in with her, and the van quickly took off...

OOOOOOOOOOOOO

As the driver cruised up Third Avenue, Sarah struggled with the man in the bomber jacker and a heavily tattooed punk in the back of the darkened vehicle. "No!... Not... Stop!" she stuttered, but they slammed her against the floor, trying to subdue her. Sarah choked as the burly men violently pressed down on her neck and stomach. She screamed in pain as the stocky guy began to hit her.

"Know what happens to little girls with big mouths..?" he said, pounding her chest as he spoke. The tears that streamed from Sarah's eyes prevented her from seeing what the men actually looked like.

"You're gonna find out!" said the punk, who also began to strike her. Sarah kicked him in the chest, and tried to break free. She managed to scramble to her feet and began to poundon the back window of the van.

"Help..!" she screamed through the glass. A car full of teenagers drove along in the next lane, laughing, grooving to the radio - oblivious..."Help me!" she cried, banging against the glass as hard as she could..., but the two attackers dragged her back down to the floor and begin to beat her into submission.

"About done with her?" called the driver.

"Just about…" said the stocky guy, who had her pinned down. "Hey Sophie, you gotta remember to keep your mouth shut from now on...

"I'm not…" Sarah gasped, but the punk hit her again. "You're gonna remember - every time you look in the mirror…" he said.

The stocky guy pulled a straight razor out of his pocket. Sarah began to fight with all her remaining strength. "Grab her hands!" he yelled to the punk. The punk held her hands down, and Sarah looked on as the razor blade raised over her face…

OOOOOOOOOOOOO

A few moments later, the van stopped at the side of the road. The two attackers dumped Sarah's limp form into a clump of bushes. They ran back to the van and in less than a heartbeat, it sped off into the night. Sarah lay unconscious, near death, sprawled in the shrubbery with her head face down. Cars whizzed by in the distance... And then, seemingly out of nowhere, a shadow fell across her body... A cloaked-figure came into the view and scooped Sarah up, as if she were a child. He wiped the dirt from her face then shuddered, just for a moment… Then, he carried her off, into the mist.

Bearing her over his shoulder, the cloaked-man descended a ladder into a steam tunnel, part of the elaborate network of tunnels and caverns which ran deep below Manhattan...He took her down a passageway to a lower level of connecting chambers... Steam escaped from the pipes as the walls dripped with sweat - an occasional bare bulb threw eerie shadows down the tunnel... A train thundered overhead as the figure moved quickly and surely along a narrow ledge, and then down another ladder...

Eventually, he found himself in an underground chamber - very strange. It's dimensions and arched ceiling give the feeling of a medieval knight's quarters - and yet it was filled with carefully selected cast-off items, the artifacts of modern disposable culture. The furnishings -- lamps, table, cabinets -- had been found or ingeniously assembled from salvaged parts. One wall was covered with a mosaic of photos cut out from magazines - photos of the great people of our time -- Einstein, Stravinsky, Ali, John Lennon. One got the feeling that this chamber was charged with the spirit of the survivor full of undaunted goodness...

OOOOOOOOOOOOO

A few hours later, Sarah woke up with a start. She found herself nestled in a bed fashioned of mattresses and blankets. Her head and face were bandaged, and so were her eyes! Sitting at the bedside was her cloaked rescuer whom she could not see. "No..! No!" Sarah cried.

"It's alright. You're safe. You're safe, now…" said a man's soft voice. He sounded familiar, but Sarah was in state of bewilderment and couldn't quite figure out who it was.

"Where am I?" she asked, in a frightened tone, stroking the bandages that suppressed her sight. Then she began to feel around, trying to touch the man who's words she had just heard.

"No one will hurt you. You're safe here…" he continued to say. He spoke so quietly, whispering, almost as if he was trying to disguise his true identity.

"Am I in a hospital?" she asked, hopefully. But, bleaky she knew that hospitals didn't usually smell like cesspools!

"No. You were bleeding, there was no time to take you to a hospital. But you're going to be alright…" the man explained.

"What did they do? Did they..? My eyes..?" she panciked, trying to remove the bandages. The man gently touched her arm and brought it back down. He caressed her fingers for a short few seconds. Immediately, Sarah felt more relaxed.

"Your eyes were not hurt. We made sure... Rest now." he told her. he tried to get out of bed, but his words were like magic as she instantaneously sank back into a deep sleep...

OOOOOOOOOOOOO

As she slept, she hazily felt another figure lightly touch her in different places...He was examining her, checking her pulse, and searching for any other wounds… All the while, her rescuer watched over her protectively. When Sarah awakened again, she heard the cloaked-man approach her. "Who's here?" she asked.

"I'm here." the man whispered softly.

"Who are you?" she asked, obviously not wanting to settle for him being just a helpful stranger. Suddenly, she shivered in pain and clutched hold of her chest. She felt like she had just been crushed to death and then brought back to life again just to feel the agony.

"I'm just a friend. We treated your injuries. You have broken ribs. You need to be still." he replied.

"We?"

"Yes, my, erm… other friend. Do not worry. We are here to help."

"Where am I?" she pleaded. Sarah had never been so frightened and alone. The man sounded caring, but how did she know that he wasn't really one of the bad men in disguise?

"Where no one can hurt you." he assured.

"My face -- was it...?"

"Tell me your name…" asked the man, trying to divert her attention from the pain.

"Sarah."

"Sarah…" he whispered tenderly, as if it was a name of some importance to him. "Try to rest, Sarah. If you need anything I'll be close by. Don't be afraid. Please, don't be afraid."

"I'll try... I'll try…" she said. She drifted back to sleep. The man drew the covers up around her and headed off, down an adjoining tunnel. Moving with speed and agility, he descended a ladder to a lower platform, then leapt from that platform - across to a steam-filled chasm - to another ladder which he climbed. The man, entered a vault-like room, two-stories high. The walls were lined with books, floor to ceiling - books of every description - a vast library of the city's cast-off books. The room was lit by oil lamps. In a far corner, seated in a tattered, over-stuffed chair, was an old bearded man, reading a book. His face and features were long and finely chiselled, and always in shadow. He had the appearance of a wise, sensitive man who had seen too many terrible things.

As the cloaked man entered the room the old man looked extremely upset. "Is she awake?" he asked.

The man nodded. "She's very frightened." he said.

The old man handed him a bottle of pills. It appeared that he was some kind of doctor. "Make sure she takes these -- to prevent infection."

"I'll make sure."

"I was saving them for an emergency, if something happened to either of us."

"Abe, this was an emergency - she would have died." the rescuer argued.

The old man sighed. "Yes, but do you know what they'd do to you if they caught you up there? Or found you down here? You've endangered all of us, but the risk for you is especially great. You'd probably die! How could you bring a stranger here?? To where we live??" he said, angrily.

"She's not a stranger!"

"What? But…you've never known any other humans before…except…" The old man gasped, suddenly realising who she was. "Is it really...?" The cloaked man nodded. "But, how does she not know it's you?"

"I don't know. It's been along time…thirteen years to be precise! From the look of her attire, it appears she has become somewhat of a successful businesswoman. It's inevitable she would forget about me…But, I couldn't just turn my back on her, could I?"

"Alright... Help her regain her strength. But the moment she's ready to leave, you must get her out! And Jareth, do not let her know who you are! She destroyed you once! She could do it again!"

"Abe, how many times! She did not destroy me!"

"Hmm…"

OOOOOOOOOOOOO

Later in the afternoon, Sarah sat up on her bed, her head and eyes still swathed in bandages. She seemed a lot less afraid than she had been earlier. Jareth was feeding her with a spoon. "Do you like it?" he asked, wiping her chin with a cloth. It was very heard to feed somebody when they had no idea when the spoon was going to come at them.

"It's good stew…" she said, taking another mouthful. "It's like nothing I've ever tasted! It's like…like magic. What's in it?"

"Oh, just a special recipe Abe gave me."

"Abe? How many other's are there here?" she asked, swiflty becoming fearful of the unknown strangers that lived with her in her temporary dwelling.

"Just a few..., but don't worry. Nobody else will disturb you. Abe is a very good friend of mine. He's the only other one I'll let see you. He's stern, but very wise, and he knows all about medicine and healing. He was the one who bandaged you up."

"And what's your name?" she asked.

After a short pause he told her. "My name is Jeremy" he uttered unsurely, still speaking in a hushed tone.

"Well, Jeremy can you please tell me where we are? I'm going to keep asking…"

"Where do you think?" he asked. Sarah heard a train rumble overhead and tried to figure it out.

"Somewhere there's an elevated train. Brooklyn? Queens?"

"No, not Brooklyn or Queens." he said.

"Am I still in New York?" she said, starting to panic.

"Yes, but we're below the city -- below the subways. There's a whole world of tunnels and chambers that most people don't even know exists. There are no maps to where we are -- it's a forgotten place. But it's warm and it's safe -- and we have all the room we need…so we live here, and we try to live as well as we can, and we try to take care of each other. It's our city, down here…"

"What are you doing down here? Why aren't you living aboveground like the rest of the human race?" she asked uncertainly.

The man took a deep breath. "...We were cast out of our land -- abandoned, left to survive in a city we were not familiar with... Luckily, we found Abe, who had also been ostracized from his home, many years before I did. Abe found us and brought us here, and we have dwelled underneath the city ever since." He spoke with such sorrow, like he was a man made of nothing but loneliness.

"Who are these "others"? And what kind of people get "cast out" of places…I…I don't understand!" she cried, overwhelmed by all the information.

"Shhh…" he whispered, placing his finger over her lips. "You don't need to worry about any of that. Just get well, and you will be able to return home as soon as possible.


	2. Here Today, Gone Tomorrow

2. Here Today, Gone Tomorrow

It was Thursday..., three days since the incident. Jeremy sat beside Sarah on the mattress and continued a story called 'The Green Knight', one of the many books he had been reading to her during her recovery. _"And the wind soughed through the trees, and the leaves rustled and all slept, except the princess -- but the knight came not. And so the days passed and she waited and watched, and read in her little green book and sang -- but no Green Knight came. Then her red cheeks again became pale and her happy heart, sad and heavy; and she began to waste away, to the sorrow of her father, but to the secret joy of her stepmother."_

"Isn't that the truth?" muttered Sarah. Jeremy looked at her, an inquisitve expression on his face. Sarah sensed his curiosity, and began to answer his silent question. "Me and my stepmother have never really gotten on either..., and I've always felt that she revelled in my misery."

"Misery? Why are you miserable?" He found it hard to believe that a girl who seemed to have found her place in life could be unhappy.

"I'm not... Well, I don't think I am, but I used to be, back when I was a teenager. I never went on dates, or just hung out with my friends. I was always so wrapped in my own little fantasy world, always waiting for _my_ Green Knight!... Well, I've found him now" she laughed, snuggling up close to Jeremy. "Not many people would take care of me the way you have done."

"I was just doing my job." he modestly stated.

"You mean...you do this a lot?" she asked, somewhat disappointed that she was just one of many victims he had saved.

"Well yes..., but I've never had anyone stay down here with me before. No one else has been as badly hurt as you have." Jeremy tenderly stroked Sarah's right arm, which had been sorely bruised during the incident... But Sarah hung her head.

"I'm sorry about all the trouble I must be causing. I know it must be a burden on you to look after me like this."

He gazed sorrowfully at her, pulling her close. "You are anything, but a burden, Sarah. I'm disgusted with what those men have done to you, really I am. But I'm also honoured to be in the presence of such a charming, and beautiful woman." He kissed her forehead.

"I feel the same way about you. But I know that Abe doesn't want me to be here... Not that I blame him."

"Abe doesn't mind you being here, Sarah. He's just shy, that's all."

"Really? He doesn't seem like he'd be shy from all the wonderful things you've been telling me…And what about the others? You said there were other people living down here, didn't you? Are they shy too?"

"Erm…well, they just don't want to disturb you while you're recovering." he replied, unconvincingly.

"Will I see them when I'm better? It can't be long now until I can remove my bandages, can it? Then I'll be able to see what you look like!" she asked, with a hint of excitement in her voice. She imagined Jeremy to be a very handsome man with kind eyes. He was blonde, definately blonde, and he had short-to-medium length hair that curled slightly at the back. He probably smiled a lot, and he always wore dark, sophistcated clothing... Jeremy was silent. "Jeremy? What's wrong? You're not afraid I'm going to dislike you once I look at you, are you?"

"Actually, Sarah that's exactly what I'm afraid of." he answered, closing the book. He stood up from the bed and walked over to a rickety chest of drawers where he placed the book inside.

"Oh, don't be silly. It doesn't matter what you look like! You're a kind and gentle person -- that's all that matters!" Sarah reached out into the air, trying to touch him and bring him back to her, but he stood far away in the corner, curiously watching the girl who appeared to like him a lot.

"Am I?" he asked, confusing her.

"Of course you are! You're the most compassionate man I've ever met!" she said with certainty.

"I'm glad you think so…, but I wouldn't think so highly of me if I were you. I haven't always been this way. I've done some bad things in my past…, things that will haunt me the remainder of my life."

"Really? Like what?" Sarah suddenly felt uneasy. How could a man who spoke with such grace and tenderness have done anything bad in his past.

"I don't think we should be talking about that right now. You look tired." he told her.

"How can you tell?"

"I can tell... I sense things, you know... And I definitely sense that you are feeling sleepy right now... See, I feel like we have a bond, Sarah. Because when you feel tired, I feel tired, and when you feel sad, it makes me feel sad too." Jareth stepped over to her and began to tuck her in. "Sweet dreams." He kissed her again, then began to walk away.

Sarah smiled contentedly. She felt there was a bond too. "I don't care about your past. You're a great man, and you need to start believing in yourself…and, once I'm better, I'm taking you up into the real world." she said.

Jeremy blew out the candles -- the only light source that illuminated the underground. "Goodnight, Sarah." he told her, leaving the room so she could rest.

OOOOOOOOOOOOO

Later that night, Sarah lay still on her mattress. In her confused state she found it difficult to know if she was asleep or awake. Her eyes wouldn't be able to tell the difference anyway! But somewhere about the darkness she heard footsteps approaching her. Sarah froze, hoping that it was just Jeremy coming back to check on her. She was quite fearful of the "others" he had mentioned. What if they did something to her?

"See…see, I told you" said a voice. "It's her! It's the child!" Sarah realised that there must have been more than one person present. But that wasn't the thing that scared her... The voice the "person" spoke in was far too shrill and gravelly to belong to an ordinary human being.

"She's no child!" said another one, in a similar unearthly tone.

"No…she's all grown-up now. She can't even remember the Master!" replied the other figure.

Sarah froze. Strange thoughts were circling her head, thoughts about who this "Master" really was. _Surely not?_ _Jeremy was noble, calm and loving. How could he be...?_

"What are you doing here?" called a voice from far away. "I told you to stay away from her. She's not supposed to know who were are!"

But it was too late for that! Sarah had already heard his voice, and instantly she realised just who it was that had brought her to this dark and scary place. Also, she realised that the "others" were not people at all! "Nooo!" Sarah cried, sitting up on her bed and starting to remove the bandages that concealed her eyes.

"Sarah…don't!" yelled the man. "You're not ready!" Sarah didn't listen…she rampantly ripped the dressing from her face and looked out into unfamiliar world. She screamed... But it wasn't the man or creatures that caused her to cry. Just across from her mattress stood a broken mirror, and in the distorted reflection she could see the jagged slashes which criss-crossed her face like a grotesque road map.

"Oh, God..! No..! My face..! My face..!" This was all too much for her. Suddenly, dreams of Green Knight's and Fairytale Romances had become nightmares of painful memories and hideous faces.

"Sarah, it's alright." said the man, who she recognised to be Jareth the Goblin King, not Jeremy the human, as he carefully approached her. Sarah stared in horror at the man who dressed all in black, from the stately black boots on his feet to the dusky charcoal breeched on his legs, his huge dark cape fluttering behind him along with both of their heartbeats. The only think different about him were his eyes. They were nervous, hopeful eyes..., not the cruel, piercing ones Sarah had met when she was fifteen. Beside Jareth stood two eagle-eyed goblins who seemed to be amused by the whole thing.

"You…, what are you doing here? Why aren't you in the Labyrinth?" asked Sarah, who quickly stood up, as difficult as it was to do.

"I told you, I was exiled!" he answered, helping her regain balance when she stumbled across the floor.

"But when… How?" Sarah could not believe it had been thirteen years since she had last seen the Goblin King. She remembered him so well..., and yet she had also forgotten about him correspondingly.

"That's not important." he said coldly, causing Sarah to feel more familiar with his unfriendly nature.

"Jareth! I have a right to know!" she demanded.

Jareth stared at her, then sighed. "Alright, alright..." he said, moving to sit on a black leather chair he had placed beside her bed. He patted the mattress, indicating for Sarah to sit down. She hesitated, but did so. He took a deep breath and began to tell his tale. "It happened twelve years ago. I had been ruling the Labyrinth for over a thousand years and…well, my time as a Goblin King was almost over…Now, usually we are supposed to pass our title down to our children, but…unfortunately I had none! In a state of panic I conjured up several plans to steal a human child, but none of them were…"

"Toby?" Sarah interrupted. "That's why you took him? You were going to make him a…a…Goblin King?"

Jareth hung his head in shame. "I know. It was a dreadful thing for me to do, and I will always feel remorse over my actions. Luckily, that boy had a beautiful older sister who wouldn't let a silly old Goblin King stand in her way."

Sarah began to cry. "Beautiful? Look at my face! Just look!" She pointed to the red scars that sheathed her visage. The deep cuts did not seem to disturb Jareth, for he could see the beauty within.

"Don't worry, I'm going to take you back home now." he assured, but Sarah didn not feel that same comfort from Jareth that she had felt when she thought he was Jeremy.

"Tell me it's a nightmare. That it's not happening, that it can't be..."

"It's not a nightmare. It happened -- and you're alive. Sarah, you survived. And what you endured will make you stronger and better."

"I don't have any strength. I can't do this…I can't." She sat feebly on the bed, clutching her shoulders and hanging her head. Jareth bent down beside her. He lightly touched her chin, forcing her to raise her head and look into his captivating eyes. Sarah noticed that he wasn't wearing his trademark black gloves he always used to wear, for his hands were soft and supple.

Jareth spoke into her soul. "You have the strength Sarah -- you do." he said with conviction. She continued to stare at him, confused by his kindness. There was no sign of malice in his eyes, and the smile on his mouth seemed genuine, showing no hint of scorn... But could she really trust him after what he did to her and her baby brother? "Sarah, I know I was cruel towards you in the past. But…I've learnt a lot about myself since then. Living underneath this city for the past thirteen years has taught me a lot about human kindness and looking after one another. All I want to do now is get you home safely." Jareth held out his hand. After a slight hesitation, she took it and he pulled her up from the bed. "Steady." he said, as she fell into his arms. "You've been in bed for almost two days. You're still weak."

...He lead Sarah down a long, cavernous tunnel. Sarah realised that the world he lived in was a lot larger than she first thought. It was a great expanse of uncharted or forgotten space, allowing the inhabitants freedom and privacy. As they made their way back up, they passed several creatures of the "world below". Most of them were goblins, but others were much larger and nobler creatures, including the Wiseman and a tall but amiable-looking troll, all of whom smiled respectfully as she walked by.

Suddenly, Jareth leapt over from one pipe to another...Sarah didn't follow. "Wait!" she cried, gawping at the large gap that lay before her.

"You can do it...give me your hand…" he said, extending his arm out for her to grab. Holding his hand, she timidly jumped across the breach. He then continued to guide her cautiously along a section of pipe that they had to "cat-walk" along, as steam swirled around them. They approached a spiral staircase and started to climb it, with Jareth holding onto Sarah the whole time. Next, they entered another shadowy passageway, with bricks missing in the wall. Sarah recognised the familiar eyeballed lichen plants that followed them as they passed. Jareth and Sarah crouched down and entered the tunnel through the hole in the wall. They soon arrived at another opening with the bricks removed. A shaft of light shone down in the next channel. "This is where you go out." Jareth indicated.

"Where are we?" she asked hesitantly.

"The basement of your apartment building." he answered.

Sarah laughed a little. "We are?"

Jareth nodded, and pointed to where Sarah needed to go. But Sarah paused. There was a beat. A moment where they both now realized they were about to go their separate ways -- a torrent of emotions... Sadness, gratitude, fear, concern…

"Jareth? Why…why did you save me?" she asked.

"Because, Sarah…twelve years ago you saved me!…I was selfish and unkind, and all I ever cared about was power. I never thought I would feel any compassion towards a human being until you came along. You taught me that power doesn't come from status or leadership, it resides within a good heart. And even though I lost my kingdom, I gained a whole new perspective on how a life should be lived... Thank you for teaching me that, Sarah."

"I'm the one who should be thanking you. If it weren't for you I'd be…I'd be…"

"Let's not even think about it…" Jareth said.

"Your secret is safe with me, Jareth. I won't tell anyone about you, or this place."

"Thank you." he said gratefully. Warily, she reached out for him, and put her hand on his chest and her head on his shoulder. The tenderness of her embrace was a feeling he had never felt before, never even dreamed of. It was more than he could stand -- it was breaking his heart. He laid the palm of his hand on the small of her back and held her close…

Suddenly, footsteps were heard through the vent in the basement. Sarah looked at the vent. When the footsteps faded off, Sarah turned to Jareth .. but he was not there...

"Jareth…!" she called. But he was gone! With a sense of sadness at losing him, she raised her hood, and walked slowly towards the shaft of light…then disappearing, back to her life...

OOOOOOOOOOOOO

Sarah lay on a large operating table. Her face was being prepped for plastic surgery -- marked with lines and notations... She was terrified! The constant beeping sounds, the blinding blue light, the unbelievable whitness of the room, but worst of all she could see all the knives and scalpals that were going to be used on her.

"What's her pressure?" asked a doctor.

"120 over 80 doctor" said the nurse.

"Then, shall we begin?…" Sarah was given an anaesthetic, which was injected into the IV to sedate her…

"Now, I want you to start counting from ten, backwards…" said the doctor.

"10... 9... 8..." begun Sarah. The doctors and nurses prepared to begin surgery. Everything was beginning to get blurry. "7... 6..." And Sarah lost consciousness.

OOOOOOOOOOOOO

Sarah drifted over to her father's office, her face horribly scarred, her dress filthy and ragged... Mr. Williams opened the door and beamed happily at her. "Sarah! we were all guessing where you went. Was it Cuba? Montserrat?" he asked buoyantly.

"I -- I…" she stammered, unable to speak. "No -- Dad -- I…"

"Have to run, I'm in a board meeting…" he said, handing her a wad of money. "Buy yourself a new dress…Is that enough? Here, take some more…" he said, giving her more cash. "See you later." Sarah tried to follow her father as he walked down the corridor, but he seemed to have disappeared!

"Cathy, you have a nice vacation? You look em, you look wonderful" said a male colleague.

"We missed you…" stated another female colleague.

"Well, Miss Williams…now you've done it." said another one.

The next thing Sarah knew, she was running up a dark and gloomy alley. Out of the blue, a van appeared behind her, chasing her. The door slammed shut and suddenly she was on all fours, surrounded by people staring down at her…laughing! Mike Swanson was there, and beside him stood a beautiful woman. They were both surrounded by admirers. "I feel sorry for her. But what can I do? Life goes on…" said Mike, to the woman. "She was an interesting girl. I thought she showed a great deal of promise -- but she just turned out to be a big loser…" The laughing continued, with people pointing at her...Sarah looked around, desperate -- trapped... Then she spotted something up to her left….

It was a figure of a man, and when Sarah realised who it was she smiled contently. Standing in the tunnels, he peered down at Sarah, his eyes filled with feeling, deep with empathy for her. As their eyes locked he nodded…

OOOOOOOOOOOOO

Sarah woke up in a daze. She came out of the anaesthetic, her face, once again, heavily bandaged. The surgeon, a handsome older man, stood at her bedside. "Jareth..?" she cried softly.

"Sarah, it's Dr. Jenson... It's all over."

"I'm... in the hospital?" she asked groggily.

"Yes, and you're going to be fine...you must have been through something terrible, but whatever it was is behind you. If there's anything you want to tell me, or talk about, anything I can do…just let me know."

Meanwhile, Jareth rode on top of an elevator to the top of a tall building... There he sat, perched, gazing out at the lights of the city surrounding him, the city he could never be a part of -- the city of the woman he could never really know. He bowed his head, looking utterly isolated, forlorn...

OOOOOOOOOOOOO

EIGHT MONTHS LATER…

It had taken Sarah a long time to come to terms with the traumatic beating, but after eight months of routine and regularity she finally felt like she could live a normal life again….The only thing was, she wasn't sure if a normal life was what she wanted. Being with Jareth for that short period of time had given her a flicker of desire she hadn't experienced since her childhood. Even though she tried to forget about him…she couldn't! When she was recovering in the underground, before she knew the Goblin King was her saviour, she felt a familiar bond with the mysterious stranger she had never felt with anyone before. Before she realised Jareth was the man who fed her and dressed her wounds, she felt a kind of connection with him…, and when she discovered who he actually was…the feelings still did not fade!

At the present moment, Sarah sat impatiently in the seating area of the local police department. Just through the doors stood a small office, where a District Attorney sat conferring with a Deputy. His desk was piled high with legal briefs and transcripts. The atmosphere in the office was harried. The central work area of the D.A.'s office could be seen through a glass window- a beehive of glass partitioned cubicles buzzing with deputy prosecutors and clerks moving at a frantic pace. D.A. Bertoni was reading Sarah's resume. "Her credentials are terrific - Radcliffe, Columbia Law School. Sure she wants a job with us?" he said.

"Uuh..she says so, who knows?" said the Deputy. "Look, she's some rich guy's daughter, looking for something 'meaningful...' You remember, the one who disappeared for ten days?" he said snidely.

"...Look, it's a pair of hands... it's a brain. We need the extra help, right?" said the D.A.

The Deputy nodded. "Where do you want to put her?"

"Put her on the field –let her do research, investigation, give her all the legwork… you know, throw everything at her…and we'll find out if she's any good…" said D.A. Bertoni.

"Right…" The Deputy went through the office door, opened it and leant out, grinning at Sarah... "Excuse me, Ms. Williams -- District Attorney Bertoni will see you now. Come on in…"


	3. An Occasional Dream

3. An Occasional Dream

Two days later, the sun rose, and the city of Manhattan awakened. A fresh-faced Sarah stood in a shabby loft in a rundown old building on the lower east side. The floor was covered with mats. Various punching bags and practice dummies hung from the ceiling on chains. Nobody else appeared to be around... "Hello..!...Mr. Anderson?" Sarah called. There was no answer. "Anybody here..?"

"We know you're here.." said a voice softly, as the light flickered on. Sarah jumped and span around to find Mr. Anderson standing inches behind her. He was a black man in his fifties, built like a fireplug with arms of twisted iron and an amiable smile... "You should always know what's comin' up behind you." he said, grinning widely. "This time it's good news…I'm Benji, Benji Anderson…

"Sarah Williams…" She shook Benji's hand... Sarah felt energized, sporting a vest-top and capri pants. At this moment in time, she was ready for anything!

"So…you wanna learn to take care of yourself…"

"That's right…" she asserted.

"Because something bad happened...to you" he said knowingly. Sarah nodded. "…And you don't want anything like that to ever happen again…"

"Never." she said.

"Okay…Now I don't teach none of that oriental stuff -- no Kung Foo, no egg foo yung. This is New York City, so what I do teach is New York City streetfighting, mean and dirty. Only philosophy that counts around here is, doing whatever it takes to come out alive...You use what you got. Let me see your shoe…" Sarah reached down and took of her left sneaker. She handed it to Benji, who abruptly whipped it across the head of a dummy, then drove the heel into it's temple. "You can kill a man…with a shoe…now it ain't fancy, it ain't pretty, but it works - if you got the stomach for it."

"When do we start?" she asked determinedly.

OOOOOOOOOOOOO

Sarah started to head home in the cool hours of the evening. The electric blue sky began to show signs of obscurity, telling Sarah that she had to get home as soon as she possibly could... But instead of taking her normal route, she was drawn to a dark alleyway. In a daze she crept down the murky side street and followed the faint sound of a haunting melody she remembered from long ago. She knew it was dangerous to be alone in a dark place but she couldn't help herself..., something was pulling her along, as if by magic! She continued trudge down the narrow lane until she reached a dead end. Sighing with dissappointment she turned around and began to make her way back, but suddenly a gloved hand clapsed her shoulder. Stunned, she quickly jumped and turned around, but immediately smiled when she saw the two captivating eyes she knew so well... Sarah was amazed to find that she was no longer in the dark alleyway, but she was in the Labyrinth, just outside the Goblin City, and the sky no longer dark, but a sweet pastel blue. She smiled.

"I knew it was you." she voiced, gazing in awe at the handsome Goblin King, who this time was dressed in silver and white. He smiled with infinate charm as he took her hand and lead her into the castle where she found herself surrounded by all of her old friends including Hoggle, Ludo, Sir Didymus, Ambrosias, The Fire Gang and even the goblins...! Jareth lead her towards his throne and sat her down. She was shocked, but happy to see him slowly crouch down on one knee. Sarah squealed with delight, as Jareth gazed lovingly into her eyes.

"Sarah, will you m--?" he tried to say, but his words had become distorted. "Will you ma--?" But she coudn't hear him. The entire room began to spin, and the goblins started to roar with laughter. The castle shuddered and shook and pieces began to crash down to the floor. Jareth tried to reach out for Sarah, but something yanked him backwards causing him to fall to the ground... All of a sudden Mike came into view. He was dressed in a black bomber jacket and carried a large street-knife in his hand. He leered wickedly as he raised the knife to Jareth's head.

"Don't!" Sarah tried to scream, but no sound came out of her mouth at all. Mike let out a piercing cackle before stabbing the knife right into Jareth's forehead. Instanty, Jareth shattered into a million pieces of dust and ash. Sarah screamed again... This time she could hear herself! She abruptly sat up and looked around at the familiar bedsheets she comforted herself with every night... After all that, it was only a dream.

OOOOOOOOOOOOO

The next day, Sarah ambled through the New York Police Department Data Center. She had been at her job for less than a week, yet she promenaded through the building like she owned the place. In the last eight months she had let her hair grow long and she had gotten herself in tremendous shape. She wanted to feel like nothing could ever harm her again... Stopping at a computer terminal, she saw Vincent, a stylish young Puerto Rican operator who was "interfacing" with the master data bank... "Vincent -- do you have those addresses for me, yet?" asked Sarah.

"Yeah, I got 'em!" he replied, irritably handing her a printout. "Here, take 'em…"

"Thanks, I appreciate it…"

"You should appreciate it. I'm doin' all your work."

"Oh I'm sorry, the D.A.'s really got me running. They're testing me…"

"Who you kidding?! I know the way you uptown girls operate. You swing in here, shed a few tears for humanity, and then you go shopping."

"That's not true!" she claimed.

"It's not, huh?" he said, looking at her security pass. "Sarah Williams…let's check you out…" Vincent began to punch in data on his computer keys. Sarah's name and vital statistics appeared on the screen...Next, a summary of a police report under the heading, VICTIM - AGGRAVATED ASSAULT...And then, a gruesome full face photo of Sarah and her scars taken before surgery...Vincent looked stunned. "Oh God... I'm sorry Sarah…" he said.

"Don't be...It's an old picture.." she said with a smile.

OOOOOOOOOOOOO

In the meantime, an atmosphere of sadness hung over Jareth as he loitered about the underground. Abe sat reading another one of his books while Jareth lounged at the other end of the room, juggling a few of his crystal balls that he pulled miraculously out of his sleeve. Abe sighed, for he knew exaclty what was on Jareth's troubled mind. "She can only bring you unhappiness…" he said.

"Then I'll be unhappy -- but I can't forget her. We're still connected…" he said adamantly. Abe shook his head sadly, but Jareth continued... "I can feel what she's feeling, I know what she's thinking -- when she's frightened, when she's happy or sad…"

"Jareth, your senses -- your empathic powers are quite extraordinary. It's your gift. And these powers have been heightened by the concern, the love that you feel. But don't let your feelings destroy you…" begged Abe.

"Maybe, I have no choice…"

OOOOOOOOOOOOO

Back in the N.Y.P.D. Computer Data Center, Sarah sat beside Vincent at the computer terminal... "Listen, I need some help and it's a little tricky. A woman was attacked by mistake -- by three men…and I wanna find out if these men ever went after their intended victim." she explained.

"You got the date of the mistaken attack?" asked Vincent.

"Last April 12th…" she said, without hesitation.

Vincent looked at her, knowing this was something special, something personal... "... Aggravated Assault?" he asked. Sarah nodded. Vincent began to punch in the details, and on the terminal screen a long list of pending cases started to appear -- well over a hundred... "Whoa…a lotta guys hittin' on a lotta women out there…" said Vincent. "Can we narrow this down – em… the make of the car ?"

In a flashback, Sarah tried to picture the automobile that she had been forced into, but her memory of that day was hazy. "Some kind of van…I don't know…" she said.

"How about the intended victims name?"

Sarah remembered something that the stocky guy said when he grabbed Sarah from behind.

_"...Hey Sophie, you going home alone tonight?"_

"Try Sophie…" she incited.

Vincent typed in the additional data... The computer factored in the new data and searched the list of cases. It located three cases of aggravated assault with victims named Sophie... "Okay, here are all the 'Sophies'…" said Vincent. "Em, let's punch into the files…" The statistics of the first case appeared on the screen...Vincent brought up a case file... The vital statistics appeared -- and then a picture of the victim: a young black woman with a swollen jaw... "Mmm mm -- let's try the next one…" he said. The statistics of the next case appeared: VICTIM - AGGRAVATED ASSAULT: SOPHIE CARLTON. Her picture appeared on the screen. She had been badly beaten about the face. Despite her bruises and lacerations the resemblance to Sarah was striking. Vincent kept looking from the picture on the screen to Sarah.

"This could be it. Let's pull the file…" Sarah instructed.

OOOOOOOOOOOOO

Later on, Sarah arrived at Sophie Carlton's house. She stood in the musty hallway of her apartment building and knocked on her door. She could tell that the people living here were poor, and working-class, as the corridor was filled with the smells of alcohol and cigarettes. She waited for a few moments, then knocked again. "Who is it?" called a timid female's voice.

"Sophie Carlton?" asked Sarah.

"What do you want?" she asked.

"My name's Sarah Williams. I'd like to talk to you…"

The door partially opened, the chain still locked. Two frightened eyes peered out at Sarah. Through the space in the door Sophie's face could be seen. She bore a strong resemblance to Sarah. Sophie, apparently, was not slashed, but one side of her face seemed dead, as if she had suffered nerve damage from her beating. "What's this about? You a cop?" she asked. "I told you people to leave me alone! You've caused me enough trouble!" she yelled.

"Sophie, you're not the only one they hurt."

"What are you talkin' about?"

"They got you and me mixed up". Sarah pulled back her hair, showing the scar along the side of her face. "I think this was meant for you Sophie…"

Sophie stood in the doorway, trembling, speechless...She shook her head and started to cry. "Go away!…" Sophie closed the door. Her cried could be heard on the other side.

"If you'd like to talk to someone who understands how you feel-- call me." Sarah said though the door, hearing the other woman weep, fighting back her own tears...

OOOOOOOOOOOOO

A while later, Sarah came into her bedroom wearing an eggshell nightgown. Just the sweet smell of Lavender that flourished throughout her room illustrated the immense difference between her's and Sophie's lives. She couldn't help but feel sorry for her. Sarah had managed to overcome her fears of the incident but it seemed like Sophie still lived in terror... On Sarah's bed was a pile of legal briefs and case books. She slipped under the covers, picked up a trial transcript and began to read... Suddenly, she heard a strange sound. She looked around trying to identify it -- then, after a few beats, returned to her reading... She heard the sound again -- a creaking just outside her bedroom window...

She immediately turned off the light and fetched a gun from the nightstand... Silently slipping out of bed, she edged along the wall to the window... Just as she reached the window, she spotted a shadow moving outside on the fire escape. She threw open the window and took aim... "Hold it!" Sarah yelled, pointing the gun in the shadow's direction. Hidden in the silhouettes, crouched in a corner of the creaky old fire escape, stood a large form and two burning eyes. "Don't move..!"

But in the twinkling of an eye the figure vanished into thin air. Sarah ran over to where she saw the shadow, but nothing stood in it's place. She scoured the air and searched through the trees, but could see nothing expect for a small white owl -- it's eyes piercing through hers. "Wait a minute…" she whispered, remembering the man who could take the form of the graceful bird. "Jareth…!"

The owl shuddered, eventually yielding to her discovery and flying elegantly back onto the balcony. In a fluttered, it stylishly transformed back into the enchanting figure of the Goblin King. "My apologies, Sarah…I shouldn't have come." he said nervously.

"No, no, I'm so happy to see you…" Sarah smiled. It appeared that she had forgiven Jareth for everything that happened to her when she was fifteen years old. The things he did for her eight months ago had more than made up for it.

"I didn't mean to frighten you…! Why do you posses a gun? Nobody else has threatened you have they?" Jareth looked at the weapon with a tinge of fear in his eyes. He knew that if anyone on Earth found out he was a Goblin King he may have to face the end of a foreboding pistol like that one.

"Oh, no, of course not…! I work with the police department!" she said... Sarah noticed the way Jareth was staring it her. "What…?"

"Your face...They fixed it…" Jareth seemed to be amazed at what humans could do to a person. He thought it would take a lot of magic to clear her scars... He was wrong.

Sarah smiled. "Yes... Come in…" she said awkwardly.

"No, I have to go, now…" he said with apprehension. Yet he did not move a muscle. "I shouldn't have come here…"

"I'm glad you did."

"I wanted to see you. There are things I wanted to tell you…"

"Me too. There are so many things I wanted to tell you…"

"I know…" he replied.

They both smiled at each other, relieved that they felt the same way. Even after all this time they still both longed for something more. Sarah admired the way Jareth's hair fluttered in the midnight breeze. She felt glad that he hadn't changed his appearance since she first met him. There was something about his unearthly guise that made her quaver with excitement. "It's been hard, Jareth...

"Yes…" he agreed, adoring the way her large green eyes reflected the silver moonlight.

"I'm learning to be strong…"

"I know -- Sarah, I feel the things you're feeling, when you do."

"I don't know what…" she said, unsurely.

"You don't have to say anything. Just know it's true --and that your pain is my pain. Sometimes almost as if we're one…" She looked at him in wonder... He was so romantic within the way that he spoke, like every word was meant to absorb within her heart. "...But now, I have to begin to forget…" he said painfully.

"...Forget me?" she asked.

"No... I'll never forget you. But I must forget the dream of being part of you." he said.

"Jareth…" she choked.

"I came here because I wanted to know that you were well -- and to see you one last time."

"I won't see you again..?"

"I've seen your world. There's no place for me in it...I know what I am. Your world is filled with frightened people. And I remind them of what they're most afraid of…" he said quietly.

"Their own ignorance…" she said, nodding.

"...Their aloneness." he corrected.

"...Yes." she said after a long pause. Silence lurked about the balcony as the two lost souls bathed in the esscence of each other. So many things they wanted to say, but couldn't. So many things they want to do, but couldn't... There were many questions that Sarah wanted answered. She knew that she couldn't fully trust the Goblin King until she knew every single reason behind his cruelty towards her and her brother all those years ago. But right now, all she wanted to do was embrace him.

"The man -- your friend…"

"Mike...?

"Do you love him?" he asked, hesitantly.

"No -- I don't love him." Sarah wanted to make this very clear.

"...Find someone to be part of, Sarah... Be happy…" he said, backing away. "Good-bye…"

He started to disappear... "Wait... Not yet... There's still time, it's still dark... Don't leave…" she said, reaching out. He came back into focus and looked at her, his firey eyes full of longing. "Are you hungry? Thirsty? I'll make you some tea if you like."

Jareth looked at her cautiously, confused as to why a girl he once tricked and decieved was so desperate for him to stay. Nevertheless, he was glad. "Yes...yes, tea would be lovely."

Sarah went back inside and made her way to the kitchen. Jareth followed cautiously, gazing around the apartment as if he had just entered a chamber of secrets. After all, he spent nearly all of his time locked away underground, he was bound to be curious. No longer could he just pop in and out of people's bedrooms anymore, as there was no Labyrinth for him to disappear back to... He walked over to the living room and stood in the centre, evaluting every chair, table and object in the room. It seemed as if he was suspicious of everything in the human world, and who could blame him?... Finally, he took a seat on the quaint rose-coloured armchair and waited patiently until Sarah arrived with his tea. She came in with a tray full of tea and biscuits, and handed him a saucer.

"Thank you." Jareth noticed that Sarah looked a little nervous, as she poured his tea. He knew why. As a teenager she had seen him as nothing more than a menacing Goblin King, a fairytale figure. He had teased her about her petty fantasies and childish ways, and now, many years later, he was sat in her living room and she was serving him tea...! Sarah sat opposite him and they both sipped in silence, thoughts racing through their mind as their mouths tried to word the many things they wanted to say to each other. But nothing came out. Everything that needed to be said was already known from the way they gazed at each other... Suddenly, Jareth placed his finished cup and the saucer and stood up. Sarah shuddered as he walked away. He was leaving already?

But instead of heading to the balcony he walked over to the book shelf, and pulled out a shabby old book which had browned throughout the leaves. He raised his eyebrows at reading the title of 'Great Expectations'. Sarah was unsure if he was surprised she read such literature or if he was simply curious about the novel itself. She watched him carefully turn the pages before hesitating to speak. "I...I could read it to you."

Jareth stared expressionless at her. She was already beginning to regret was she had just said, but then he smiled and nodded...

As night began to fade and the sky turned purple, the silhouettes of two figures huddled close together on the fire escape. Sarah was reading to Jareth, just as he had done so for her back when she was in recovery. _"__... And as the morning mists had risen long ago, when I first left the forge, so the evening mists were rising now, and in all the broad expanse of tranquil light they showed me, I saw no shadow of another parting from her."_


	4. Neighbourhood Threat

4. Neighbourhood Threat

It was the morning after, and Sarah entered the central work area of the District Attorney's office. She appeared quieter than usual, her pale complexion and slow-paced steps reflecting this. From the look of her empty expression it looked as if she was contemplating her existence, wondering what she was doing working as a police detective when all she really ever wanted was a quiet little life with the man of her dreams. As she moved to her cubicle she was suddenly intercepted by a geeky-looking office clerk... "Somebody's waiting for you…" he said. Sarah approached her cubicle and saw Sophie Carlton through the glass partition...

"Sophie." Sarah entered... Sophie looked haggard and nervous. "Hi…I didn't expect to see you here." Sophie's prescence suddenly made Sarah realise what she was doing here. She needed justice. She needed to get those thugs behind bars so they could hurt no more innocent young women.

"Yeah well, I didn't expect to be here either... I'm so sorry what they did to you. I couldn't stop thinking about it…maybe I can help you out." Sophie uttered, awkwardly. Her dark hair was pinned back, and she wore a worn, but decent dress-suit. It seemed as if she was trying to make an effort, trying to impress Sarah who was so stylish and wealthy-looking.

"You wanna tell me what happened?"

Sophie took a swallow. "I was working for this escort service, it's called Mayfair. They have a pretty good clientele. You know, businessmen from out of town, that sort of thing."

"And you'd go out with them?" asked Sarah carefully. She didn't want to offend or upset Sophie when she was obviously still in an unstable condition.

"Yeah, more or less…but it's run by this man, Joe Sikes, a real bad character. He was using the service to shake down his customers. Sometimes he would have the girls carry tape recorders…sometimes he'd em get it on film."

"And…how did you get into trouble?" asked Sarah.

"When I wouldn't go along with it, Belmont got it into his head that I was gonna spill everything to the cops, so he sent his men out to get me."

"So the men that attacked you, and me -- they were Sike's men?"

"Had to be."

"Would you be willing to testify against them, with me?" she asked, hopefully.

"Yeah, I'll testify."

Sarah went over to her desk, and rooted through her drawers until she found a mug shot of Joe Sikes. He was a dark wiry man in his late 30's. She began to punch numbers into her phone. "Hello…yes. It's Sarah Williams. I want to set wheels in motion for an arrest and search warrant to be issued tomorrow morning...Joe Sikes - - Mayfair Escort Service, 232 West 52nd...Fraud, extortion, aggravated assault -- for starters... I have the affidavit of a witness...Thanks Tom..." She hung up, then walked Sophie out into the reception area. "Okay we're all set. You're not going back to your apartment…" she said.

"Where am I going?" asked Carol.

"A friend of mine is renovating a brownstone in the Village. There's not much in it, but it'll be a lot safer. Someone'll meet you with a key…"

"Okay."

"David'll give you a ride over." she said, indicating to the Clerk. "I want you to call me as soon as you get there."

"-- there's no turning back, huh?" said Sophie.

"Sophie, you sure you understand the risks?" she said, seriously. "Don't do this for me... I don't want you to do anything that doesn't feel right." Sarah spoke with the expertise of a professional, but with the kindess of a companion.

Sophie smiled. "I'm doing this for me."

"Okay." Sophie and David began to make their way out of the building, but what they did not know was that a familiar stranger hung around the newsstand, waiting just outside of the building. His face was covered as he read a WWE magazine, but his heavily tattooed arm could be seen… It was the Tattooed Punk...! He followed Sophie and the Clerk as the came out of the building.

OOOOOOOOOOOOO

A while later, Sarah climbed out of a cab to arrive at her townhouse in Greenwich Village. Her arms were full of groceries as she hurried up the front steps of the building which was under renovation. She struggled to unlock the door whilst still holding her shopping bags, but eventually she entered the dark, empty residence. "Sophie?" she called, confused as to everything was so still. All of the lights were all turned off, and it didn't feel right. Sarah laid her groceries on the floor, and began to climb the stairs... "Sophie?...Sophie?" she called again, reaching the second floor landing and moving toward the bedroom... Sarah screamed. Entering, she found Sophie Carlton sprawled on the floor. "Oh no!" Sarah rushed into the bedroom and knelt beside Sophie's body…She leant over and touched her cheek..

"Don't bother, she's dead…" said a hauntingly familiar voice, who flickered his knife open and shut. It was the attacker from the van! Sarah shivered in fright as another man entered the bedroom behind her…It was Joe Sikes!…Sarah looked up...

"And so are you…" said Joe. As they moved on her, Sarah, still in a crouch grabbed the base of a pole lamp, then charged both of them with it and knocked them over. She ran out the bedroom door...

OOOOOOOOOOOOO

At the same time, Jareth sat in the underworld playing chess with Abe in his chamber. Suddenly his body stiffened. Something was not right!

OOOOOOOOOOOOO

Back in Sarah's world, she dashed down the stairs with the two men in pursuit…The Tattooed Punk and van driver appeared at the bottom of the stairs, making their way up… "Get her!" yelled the punk.

OOOOOOOOOOOOO

Meanwhile, Jareth raced down a tunnel with incredible speed.. -

OOOOOOOOOOOOO

Sarah made her way to an empty room on the second floor…she locked the door. Her attackers had her trapped, cut off from the stairs. She listened at the door…Their voices and footsteps could be heard in the hallway, just outside the door...

"Where'd she go?" asked the driver. Sarah ran over to the window and tried to yank it open, but it was jammed. She ran back over to the door and listened quietly.

"Try in there…she's gotta be in one of these." said the punk.

"Andy, block the stairs." she heard Joe Sikes say. She scanned the room for a weapon, and picked up a heavy hanging plate.

Outside of the door, the main attacker and Joe Sikes were opening and closing all the rooms looking for Sarah... "Nothin' in here." said the stocky guy.

"Go check the other door." said Joe Sikes. Sarah raised the plate high ready to use it as a weapon, but it was too heavy for her to handle. She dropped it…causing it to crash to the floor. The noise alerted the men as to her whereabouts… The attacker broke down the door, and Joe Sikes and the Tattooed punk followed him into the room... "There you are!"

Sarah managed to run past them and headed for the stairs, she knocked the driver down the stairs…as she passed him near the bottom he grabbed her ankle and she fell down. She kicked out at him with her feet…and she reached into the grocery bag at the bottom of the stairs and grabbed a bottle of wine from it…she was just about to whack the driver with it when Sikes and the stocky man came down the stairs… Joe pulled out his gun. "Uh uh uh…" he said, bending over Sarah and pointing the gun in her face, half cocking the trigger. "Say goodnight…"

The door to the basement suddenly burst open in a shower of splinters, and Jareth came crashing through… He knocked the gun out of Sike's hand and shot him instantly. Then he shot the Punk, but there were no more bullets for the driver and attacker, who had just seen their worst nightmare… Jareth pulled a crystal from his sleeve and rubbed it a couple of times with his hands, which were now gloved. The men didn't quite know what to think -- they chuckled a little, but suddenly Jareth lobbed the crystal at the attacker causing him to freeze on the spot. In a few seconds his frozen stature shattered into tiny pieces and crashed to the floor. The driver gasped in horror, for he was next... Jareth threw another crystal at him. This time it turned into a ferocious cobra, which hissed and coiled round him until he choked to death. After he'd killed him, the cobra vanished. Sarah looked in disbelief… When it was over, he looked up at her -- it was a look of exquisite vulnerability, almost shame...he slumped back onto a step…Sarah walked over to him… "We can't stay here…" she said, grabbing his hands and pulling at him.

He lead her to the basement...The wall of the basement appeared to have been broken through as if by a battering ram... Jareth lead her through the hole in the wall, into a passageway. -- and they disappeared.

OOOOOOOOOOOOO

Back in the apartment building a Lieutenent walked down the stairs and stood with several of his patrolmen, surveying the devastation in the townhouse...

"So you got any ideas?" asked a patrolman.

The Lieutenent shook his head. "I know two of them were shot to death...but the other one looks like he was wrangled by some kind of animal... and I really don't know how to explain the pieces of ice on the floor." The Lieutenent and his men moved through the splintered basement door, down the stairs... "Some pretty strange things going on in this city..." he said, staring at the hole and passageway in the basement hall... "And, I hear, there are even stranger things going on underneath it... I don't know what happened here, but I'm going to find out."

OOOOOOOOOOOOO

Jareth and Sarah found themselves in a cavernous chamber… "I owe you everything -- everything…" said Sarah.

"You owe me nothing -- I'm part of you, Sarah. Just as you're part of me... Wherever you go, wherever I am...I'm with you…" Sarah gazed at him lovingly, this beautiful, noble Goblin King... "Good-bye…" he said gently.

She puts her arms around him and rested heer head on his chest... "For now…" she said softly.

They parted and headed in opposite directions…

Jareth moved onto a large chamber with many levels and entrances… Sarah went back in the opposite direction... Suddenly they both turned round at the same moment, gazing at each other wistfully …then continued on their respective ways… Jareth disappeared down the tunnel steps... back into the darkness...


	5. What In The World

5. What In The World

Dawn was due in a few hours. The deserted subway station would soon be filled with businessmen in expensive suits, carrying laptops and drinking bucketloads of coffee, but now it was still...like twilight. The last car was filthy, littered, and scarred by graffiti, Its lights flickered on and off as the train shook along the tracks. A middle-aged man sat at one end, humbly reading a paper . At the back of the train an old cleaning lady, Mrs. Rigby, clutched her oversized purse and stared wearily out at nothing... The car pulled into a station, and the doors opened. Two punks, teen-aged boys, entered looking for trouble. They moved close to the man, intimidating him. He folded up his newspaper, and quietly slipped out, moving up to the next car. Ain't you got no pride?" said the first one, watching him leave. Mrs. Rigby shrunk back in her seat, frightened, watching them.

"Who you looking at?" asked the second one. They were dressed exactly how punks would be expected to dress; leather jackets, denim jeans, combat boots, the full package. If that wasn't enough to scare Mrs. Rigby, the spikes that stuck out of their ears and noses sure were... She tried to ignore them, but they moved in to surround her.

"Hey, lady, we're talking to you." asked the other, his fluorescent green mohawk gelled firmly in place.

The old woman shivered in fear. "No... please..." she said, holding her purse up close to her face, terrifed they were going to hit her.

The car lights went off, then came back on. The first punk stepped closer to her. "Got a match in the bag, lady. Why don't you give it to me?"

"No matches. Leave me alone." she begged.

The second punk jumped forward and reached for her bag. "Let's have a look." he said. He pulled at the bag, she resisted. He raised his hand to hit her, and she let go of the purse and cowered in the seat. The lights continued to flicker as he rummaged through the purse. "Nineteen dollars! She's only got nineteen dollars!"

"That's bad." said the first, in an intimidating way. One of the boys emptied the purse on the floor. Mrs. Rigby cried out and fell to her knees, trying to retrieve her possessions. As both boys started assaulting her and kicking at her, a small furry hand opened the door. "What was that?"

Without warning, a small goblin with an olive-green face and blood red eyes came hurtling towards them. The punks squealed in fright as it began to wrestle with their legs. The old lady swiftly stood up, scuttled over to a nearby vending machine and hid behind it, peering out to watch in awe at the strange events that were taking place.

"Is this some kind of joke?" said a punk, squirming as he tried to shake the live puppet from his leg. Suddenly, the door creaked open again. Everything immediately stood still as they watched the unearthly cloaked-figure step slowly into the station. The two boys and the old lady gasped as the mysterious stranger raised his head in complacency. His eyes were dark and threating, and his lips twisted up into a wry sneer.

"No, my friend... This is anything but a joke." he said with a sharp dry tone.

The ground began to shudder, as the sounds of the approaching train could be heard from afar. For a lifeless moment the two punks gazed in terror at the stange figure, unsure of what to do, when one of them foolishly decided to snigger. "Whatever.." he laughed. "Just hop along back to the loony centre or wherever the hell it is you came from and leave the big boys to do their job okay!"

Abruptly, Jareth ran towards them and they reacted with fear. The train entered a long station, and screamed through without stopping, but the station lit strobes through the windows as they fought. The first punk was shunned out of the way by a powerful yellow beam that Jareth emitted from his hand. The second punk pulled out a switchblade, but the Goblin King saw this and without delay, he clutched hold of his arm, shooting his hand out faster than lightning. He twisted the punk's arm backwards, causing his bones to snap, sending the knife spinning from his grasp. The two punks were then left to agonize on the floor until they could bear it no more, as Jareth and the goblin hurridley ran from sight. Mrs. Rigby shrank back, afraid, but the cloaked figure ran past her and left. With a look of admiration and appreciation, Mrs. Rigby watched him leave.

OOOOOOOOOOOOO

A while later, the New York Police Department were having a field-day, as Deputy DA Dan Chapman gawped unbelievingly at the huge stack of files on his desk. With his radio turned on, he listened to what the News Reporter had to say. _"The Subway Slasher struck again last night, killing two armed men who allegedly assaulted an elderly woman. The DA's office has issued a statement saying they are working with transit authority police on a number of leads."_

As Sarah entered. She looked at the files on Dan's desk doubtfully. "I have a horrible suspicion those are for me."

"Bingo, and it's your own fault. First thing I learned in the Army…never volunteer…and this is an ugly one." informed the Deputy, who smiled maliciously. It seemed that wherever Sarah worked, people would dislike her... Sarah opened a large gray envelope from the top of the stack, and slid out some glossy police photographs of the bodies of the two punks. "Take a good look. Seventeen and sixteen. It's a mystery to how he actually killed them."

"He?" Sarah asked.

"The man with the pineapple hair…wears a cape…looks like he just stepped out of a fairytale. Half this city thinks he's a hero."

Sarah was clearly shaken. Her thoughts flashed back to Jareth killing to protect her.

"Hey. You look a little green. You sure you got the stomach for this?" he asked. Sarah nodded feebly. "Our Subway Slasher knows how to take care of himself. So what do you got here?" he asked, picking up the files as he spoke. "You got your karate schools, kung fu instructors, self-defense classes. Be the first deb on your block to collect the whole set. Now you know the profile we're looking for. Recent crime victims, maybe someone who's lost a family member. Flag anything subway-related." Sarah took the files from Dan, almost toppling over as he plummeted the stack on her. "Oh, um… You have heard of the subways, right?" he asked, following her outside. She turned and smiled at him as he closed the door.

OOOOOOOOOOOOO

That evening, Sarah sat on her balcony reading, glancing up from her book now and then as if waiting for Jareth to come to her. A newspaper rested on the table beside her. The headline read: _"SUBWAY SLASHER -PSYCHOPATH OR SAVIOR?"_

The wind increased and blew the large plants at the corner of the balcony, and eventually Sarah fell to sleep in her chair...

Jareth's hand suddenly appeared as he crept slowly onto the balcony. Sarah stirred, blinked, saw Jareth and sat up abruptly. "You came..." She smiled, stood and hugged him. "You have no idea how much I needed to see you." She pulled back when he didn't return the embrace. "What's wrong?"

Jareth scowled, his eyes turning dark and intimidating. He grabbed her arms and lifted her off the ground, holding her up in front of his menacing presence. Terrified, Sarah tried to break free, but Jareth held her tight, glaring into her eyes as he did so. They struggled, and she began to scream...

It was dawn, and Sarah woke up from her dream, still screaming and struggling. It took her a moment to realize it was only a nightmare. She dropped her head and covered her face with her hands as she recovered.

OOOOOOOOOOOOO

A little later on, Sarah entered the N.Y.P.D Computer Room, looking morose. She went over to Eddie at her computer console. Eddie saw that she was troubled. "You look sadder than my last date. Anything I can do?"

"I need to see the file on a Mrs. Sylvia Rigby."

"That's the cleaning lady saved by the slasher, right?" asked Eddie.

"Right." she answered, bleakly.

"I didn't know you were supposed to question her."

"I'm not."

"Then, why?"

"Let's just say I have a very dirty apartment." With a sigh and a shake of her head, Sarah started hitting her computer keys. She knew she had to talk to Mrs. Rigby and get to the bottom of the case, but she was deeply fearful of what might come out at the end of it... So, that night she went over to the Corporate offices. Mrs. Rigby was at work, cleaning as Sarah entered. She stopped briefly now and then, but continued to work through their conversation, dusting, emptying wastebaskets and so on.

"Mrs. Rigby, I'm Sarah Williams, from the District Attorney's office."

Mrs. Rigby looked at Sarah and frowned. "When are you people going to leave me alone? I've got work to do. I've already told the police everything I know."

"This won't take long. I promise. You say you never got a good look at the Slasher."

"Don't call him that! That man saved me, and all you people want to do is hunt him down like some animal. Where were all you people when those boys were kicking on me?" She turned her back to Sarah, then relented a little and turned back. "I didn't see him. I told you people that. I told you and told you. The lights were going on and off. What kind of subway is that, we can't even keep the lights on?"

"Well, surely when the lights came on, you saw something, if only for a second..."

"I was on the floor, hurting. I still have bruises where those boys kicked me. I didn't see no part of that man."

Sarah titled her head and gazed at her for a moment. "You're protecting him, aren't you?" she asked, gently. Mrs. Rigby busied herself with her work, ignoring her. Sarah decided to take a risk. "Mrs. Rigby, I'm not even supposed to be here. This is personal for me. I have a friend. I think... I don't know what to think. I'm afraid that he was involved. If you could tell me what you saw, anything... his face... his hands...his hair...

Mrs. Rigby relented. "His hands...he wore black leather gloves..., and his hair..., it was from another world...and his face, I'll never forget that face. He wasn't a man. He wasn't a human man at all. He was like…like…an angel...a terrible angel, come to save me."

Sarah reacted with dismay, seeing Jareth in Mrs. Rigby's words. "A terrible angel...Thank you." Sarah moved quickly to the door, anxious to be gone.

"You won't tell them, will you?" asked Mrs. Rigby.

Sarah turned back reassuringly. "No... I won't tell."

OOOOOOOOOOOOO

Sarah finally arrived home. All she wanted to do was take a nice warm soak in the bath, then drift of to sleep... But something far more important than relaxation was on her mind, something she needed to deal with right away... Sarah put on her sweater and jeans, brushed her hair and went down to the basement. She walked over to the gap in the wall and entered the loomy tunnel. Frightfully, she made her way down the narrow hole warily stepping away from the lichen that observed her every move. The consant dripping of a nearby water-pipe, along with the faint whispers of unknown voices made the journey extra terrifying... Eventually she came to a spiral staircase which led the way down into the underground. Carefully, she descended the stairs... But when she reached the bottom she became lost. There were several different routes to choose from and Sarah obviously chose wrongly, for wherever she went she ended up back in the same place. For almost an hour she promenaded around the darkness in circles, becoming scared and lonely... "Hmmm..., here's one I haven't tried" she said to herself, entering another mysterious cave.

She walked onwards for a few minutes before stopping in apprehension. Sarah could hear laughter from the other side of the tunnel. "Hello?" she called, as she continued to approach the nearby sound. "Jareth...Is that you?" she said, as the cackles grew larger in volume and in number. Sarah felt scared, but this was the only tunnel she hadn't tried... "Is somebody there?" she asked, thinking she could see several shadows running about a head of her. She walked a few more yards before stopping at where she saw the shadows... Suddenly, everything seemed very quiet...Too quiet!

"Boo!" the creature shouted, hanging its head from the drainage at the top of the tunnel. Sarah squealed and jumped back in fright, as she recognised the creature to be a a Firey, one of the loud, pink, detachable-limbed revelers who caused nothing but trouble for her back in the Labyrinth. "Remember us?"

Before she knew it, three other members of The Fire Gang appeared in front of her. "Yeah, remember us?" With all guns blazing, they were jumping up and down, tickling her, prodding her, trying to remove her head...

"Stop it!" she cried, smacking each one away from her... But there was too many off them, and their hyperactivity began to make her dizzy. "Help!" Sarah fell to the floor as they continued to cackle and poke her.

"Come on lady. We can't play with you when you're lying down!" yelled a Firey, as he pulled at her legs.

"Please..."

"Sarah?" called Jareth, who quickly ran over to her from the other side of the tunnel with several goblins by his side. "Let her go, all of you!" he commanded, and in a flash the Firey's scarpered. Jareth helped Sarah up and held her close, and he guided her through to his lair.

OOOOOOOOOOOOO

Sarah sat on the same mattress she had used to recuperate in after she had been attacked. Everything in the den looked unchanged... Jareth handed her a hot drink and she supped it gratefully. He also placed a shawl around her shoulders to keep her warm. "It's a good thing we found you, Sarah." he said, watching her attentively as she drank.

"I thought I'd remember... I must have gotten turned around somehow. Everything seems so different... strange." Sarah tidied up her hair, since The Fire Gang had messed it up.

"The ways change, Sarah. We use our magic to make sure the tunnels are always changing their routes so that the humans do not find us."

Sarah chuckled. "Magic..., I should have known." She and Jareth shared a prolonged look of compassion before she spoke again. "I had to come. I had to see you. I was afraid..."

Jareth's eyes were deeply sorrowful. "I know."

"You didn't come. I called. I banged on the pipes in my house hoping you would hear it...but you never came."

"I could feel your fear, Sarah. Even now…I frighten you."

Sarah moved closer to him. "You taught me to face my fears always, Jareth. "Tell me..."

"What shall I tell you? That I am not this...shadow, this devil that you hunt? Must you hear the words before you trust? Hear them, then. It is not me... Sarah, I would never hurt you." he said gently, moving toward her. Sarah couldn't help an involuntary move away from him. Jareth pulled back and looked at her for a moment, devastated, then moved away from her.

"No, Jareth, no... I'm sorry. I didn't mean..."

"... to pull away? I know." he said with softness and pain in his voice. He turned and walked away, raising his hand to swing at the air in frustration. "I know your heart, Sarah, but sometimes the words that are not spoken are the truest words of all ... however much they hurt.

"What are you saying?" Sarah eyes were full of panic.

"We both know what these hands can do... have done. Sarah, if your heart does not trust, then no words I speak would help." Jareth picked up his cloak and swung it over his arm. "It's time for you to go home."

He lead her unresisting from the chamber.

OOOOOOOOOOOOO

Jareth sat dejectedly in the center of the bridge, a hundred feet below the roof, his legs dangling over the side. He sat silently as Abe appeared behind him, carrying a torch. "Jareth?...Are you all right?" Abe stepped forward, gazed around, and placed the torch in a holder on the wall. "I've heard the goblins talk of this place."

Jareth nodded. "I come down here a lot..., to think, reflect, reason with myself. You can hear the sounds of the people from the world above here...rushing about the subway, heading to their homes, lovers strolling carelessly in the park...sounds of a thousand different lives, all so ignorant, so unaware of the magic that lives underneath their world...magic that we can't even use because we're living in a world we do not belong in!"

Abe smiled fondly and knelt beside Jareth. "It's Sarah, isn't it?"

"I can hear her fears whispering to me, no matter where I stand" he uttered, very sadly.

"She cannot help being afraid, Jareth. Her world is built on fear. It's all they know. With the lives they're forced to lead, if they weren't afraid, they'd be insane."

"I know."

"We have something they only dream of…a safe place…a secret place…beyond their madness and their fear. It's not the Labyrinth...but it's just as magical. Don't give up hope, Jareth. Good things will come to you at the right time."

Abe stood up and walked away, leaving Jareth to contemplate.


	6. Man In The Middle

6. Man In The Middle

"It's hard to imagine a better private collection." said an aristocratic woman, who stood in the middle of the City's latest art exhibit. Soft piano music played as the guest gathered into the gallery. Sarah and some of her friends were amongst those guests, admiring the paintings, and the man who had donated them to the museum. His name was Jon Dyer, a man beyond anyone's imagination, the finest painter in New York. Every woman in the room flocked around him, each on of them trying to catch his attention... But it was Sarah who he seemed enthralled by. Her effortless grace and natural beauty seemed to capture his soul. They locked eyes, instantly fascinated with one another.

A reporter approached Jon. "Mr. Dyer, what is the estimated value of your collection, and what prompted you to donate it to the museum?"

"Can you put a price tag on magic? The true value of great art lies in its ability to influence and enhance the quality of humanity, and contrary to popular opinion, I believe New Yorkers still qualify." Flash bulbs from photographers went off as he spoke, bedazzling the artist's eyes, but the whole time his eyes fixated on Sarah. Feeling a little uncomfortable she shyly turned away to examine more of Dyer's art pieces.

"Excuse me, Mr. Burch, could you look this way... Just one more picture, please." the reporters were saying. Jon stayed for a few photos, then approched Sarah from behind, who was studying a rather inspirational oil painting.

"Incredible isn't it? Everything happening at the same time: passion, humor, danger." Jon spoke with such passion and inspiration as he too stood and admired his own creation.

"A little like life." joked Sarah, startled by the painter's attention. She had no idea why she was being approached by such a handsome and prestigious figure.

"More than a little, I'm Jon Dyer." Jon held out his hand. Sarah began to shake it but Jon lifted her arm and planted a small but soft kiss on it. Sarah heard women sigh from all over the room. She couldn't help but enjoy the attention, the edges of her lips twitching into a smile.

"Of course you are. I'm sorry, but you are the reason we're all here." she told him, flickering her eyes from the painting to Jon. He was tall and dark, with a slender build, and whenever he spoke his eyes widened and glistened, as if he was trying to hypnotize and inspire everyone he approached.

"I suppose I am." he stated, modestly.

"And I'm Sarah Williams." She introduced herself politely, still waiting for a catch.

Jon smiled. "I know." Sarah burrowed her brow in confusion. "I asked one of your friends."

Her cheeks blushed. "I guess it's my turn to be a little flustered."

"Yes, it's only fair. Do you know that it has been a very, very long time since I've been good and flustered?"

A sharply dressed man walked up to the pair, interrupting their conversation. "Jon . . . ah . . . I need a word with you."

"Well, do you know I really don't have a moment to spare? Roger is my lawyer, he's a professional worrier and I will be in the office very early . . . Sarah, come on." Jon held out his arm to which Sarah took hold and they both walked over to the other side of the room, leaving the lawyer staring after them in exasperation. "Your father must have been very disappointed when you left his firm." Robert continued, as if he hadn't just shunned what may have been a very important conversation with his lawyer.

"He was, but he wants me to be happy." she claimed, trying to disguise the sorrowful tone in her voice.

"Are you?" he asked.

Sarah thought about it for a second. "The work is relentless, exhausting, but sometimes . . . it feels like . . . somehow, in someway I make a difference. That's a good feeling."

"Yeah, it's no fun starting at the bottom." he sympathized.

"Nobody cuts me any slack, but when I do get a kind word it's because I'm doing the job, not because I'm the boss's daughter."

"You know, you kids who grew up rich, you got just as much to prove as those of us who grew up poor. We spend our whole lives trying to prove to the whole world that we're worth something; you have to prove it to yourself. If your father isn't proud of you, he damn well should be."

She smiled at him fondly, gazing into heis eyes. Jon smiled back. They seemed to share a bond... When the gallery closed, Sarah and Jon exited the building together, and were once again surrounded by reporters and photographers. They headed for a waiting limo, entered the vehicle and drove away.

At exactly the same time Jareth strolled through a tunnel underground and stopped as if he had heard or felt something...

The night was seductive and peaceful when Jon's limo pulled up in front of Sarah's apartment building. He stepped onto the sidewalk and helped Sarah out. They faced each other. "Well, thank you for the ride" said Sarah, finding it hard to pull away from his gaze. Eventually, she smiled and began to turn away, before Jon stopped her.

"Sarah, when can I see you again?" he questioned.

Sarah took a business card out of her purse and handed it to him. "Call me." They were obviously very attracted to each other. Mounting the stairs to her building, she turned to smile at him as he entered the limo and lowered the window to watch her... But Jon was not the only one who admired the beauty that was Sarah in the dark of the cool night.

Jareth peered out into the shadows as he gazed sorrowfully at the woman he loved so deeply.

OOOOOOOOOOOOO

Sarah and Eddie were walking together towards Sarah's desk the next day. Sarah had just asked Eddie if she could access the security area of a building she was currently investigating. "No, because you need special authorization just to gain access…Whoa, ho,ho!" exclaimed Eddie, who had just spotted the dozen roses on Sarah's desk. "Girlfriend, you must be a great first date. This vase alone has to cost about a thousand bucks. Who's this guy? Come on, what's the story? I expect all the juicy details at eleven."

Sarah opened the card that came with the flowers. "There are no juicy details…yet." Eddie grinned at her, and began to walk away. "Not so fast. Could you check out this guy for me? I also need particulars of any real estate transactions in that area in the last year. Looks like someone's trying to buy themselves a whole blockndown there; I want to know who."

"Well, it's gonna take a minute; they got me swamped here."

"You know I wouldn't ask…"

"If it wasn't important, I know...I'm so good to you."

Sarah sat down at her desk and opened a file when the suddenly phone rang. "Hello...Yes. Yes I got the flowers they're beautiful...Tonight? No, I don't have any plans. I'd like that...Ok, eight o'clock then. See you later."

OOOOOOOOOOOOO

Jareth sat with Abe in his chamber, deep in thought. Abe sighed at his misery. "Jareth, what weighs so heavy? Hmm . . . please tell me?"

Jareth got up out of his chair, walking away from Abe, going to a sideboard with a figurine of a girl on it. He touched it and, with his back to Abe, explained his melancholy state. "She met a man…she's falling in love."

"Let her. Let her fall in love, Jareth."

"My mind tells me to rejoice for her . . . that she deserves the happiness . . . but my heart . . . is dying. I'm poisoned by feelings . . . I've never felt before." He turned, leaning against the sideboard with his head bowed. "Abe . . . it hurts."

"I've always . . . dreaded . . . this moment . . . for you." He rose from out of his chair, walking toward Jareth, placing a hand on his shoulder. "And I . . . I suppose I've . . . always known it would come . . . the day when your heart . . . would lead you to long for a life . . . that can never be, Jareth."

"Yes, a life that can never be." Jareth repeated, sadly. Abe stroked Jareth's head. Jareth pulled away from his touch and slowly left the chamber.

OOOOOOOOOOOOO

Sarah and Jon were walking arm in arm down a sidewalk. Two saxophonists were playing a duet. Jon laughed. "I do love the city. The thing is you can't walk a block without seeing somebody or something that just absolutely knocks you out, stuns you."

"The good, the bad and the utterly absurd." Sarah chuckled, linking her arm with his.

"Yeah, yeah, you know it's constantly changing. It's constantly transforming itself, reinventing itself; it's unbelievable. It's always expanding."

"With a little help from you."

"I've been lucky enough to realize some of my dreams."

OOOOOOOOOOOOO

Back in Jareth's tunnel, a piano was being played and the Goblin King had stopped in his nightly wanderings to listen. He was leaning against the brick wall of a building, standing between two garbage cans. His eyes were closed as he hearkened to the notes of Beethoven's piano sonata "Pathetique". The piano was being played by an old man in the basement of an apartment building opposite from where Jareth was standing... Suddenly Jareth heard the squeal of tires as a car entered the alleyway. He crouched down, hiding behind the garbage can and watched as two men got out of the car and lit firebombs. The old man stopped playing when he heard the car and switched off the light. The two men threw their firebombs through the basement window and drove away.

"My God!" cried the old man, staring in horror as the basement ignited. "Help! Somebody help me!" He began coughing as the smoke became thick. Jareth, using his feet, crashed through the window, took off his cloak and began beating out the flames. The old man succumbed to the smoke and sank to the floor... Jareth succeeded in smothering the flames and had donned his cloak, which was left magically untarnished. He watched as the old man regained consciousness then backed away, preparing to leave. "Wait! I owe you my life."

"Come no closer." warned Jareth, who stood in shadow, only his eyes lit by the light coming through the basement window.

"Why do you hide? Let me see you...Without your help, those punks would have killed us all."

"All?"

"The other tenants, those who refuse to be chased from their apartments."

"These men that did this, why do they try to drive you from your homes?"

"Because we're old and there's a dollar to be made...Please, won't you come in and have a cup of tea? You must be shaken too."

"No...I must leave, now." Jareth explained as he fled off back into the night... But Jareth halted in his tracks when he caught sight of Sarah and Jon, who had their arms around each other as the walked towards a fountain. They stopped, looked at each other, and then kissed... Jareth stood in front of the drainage pipe looking forlorn.


End file.
